26 March 2009

The most recent issue of Real Simple mentioned the book, Throw Out Fifty Things. I got excited thinking that it would be a list of 50 specific things to get rid of in order to de-clutter your life and de-clutter your mind. It would be like a scavenger hunt. Not exactly ... the book serves more so as a guide with suggestions. Things to get rid of include:

decorative pillows

old work clothes

shoes

expired medications

old makeup

nail polish

ugly lipstick

magazines

old spices

the 'junk drawer'

banged up pans

nearly empty jars in the fridge

books

records

burned down candles

old napkins [I'm assuming cloth]

place mats

ugly dishes

plates

chandeliers

mirrors

folding chairs

unused headboards

old rugs

unused toaster oven

children's games

blackboard

toy piano

guitar

wallpaper

wicker baskets

clay pots

old paint

plant fertilizer

wicker chest

business guru books

old presentation materials

old manuscripts that have been digitized

old documents

mementos ... tote bags, folders, key chains

fear of the future

comparing yourself with others

the person you think you aren't

regrets and mistakes

being right about how wrong everyone else is

the need to have everyone like you

thinking the worst

waiting for the right moment

needing to feel secure

the feeling that you have to do everything for yourself

While the book is not what I expected ... it didn't seem horrible. It included ideas about how to donate/ recycle, and suggestions about resources for the disposal of hazardous materials. There is also a built in score sheet at the end of each chapter to help you track your progress. So, would I purchase the book? I would probably buy the paperback version if it was on sale.

23 March 2009

to some people running 4.97 miles is not a big deal; I however hate running, and by 'hate' I mean 'really really hate'

... additionally I can't stand cold weather, and it was freezing Saturday morning

while I am at it, I am not a fan of being up really early ( i.e. 5:00am) on a Saturday

I really don't know what I was thinking by signing up for this torture

however, I really enjoyed it ... the whole experience.

the running world is the subculture that I did not know existed until this weekend

seriously, who really enjoys running? - NOT ME

when I went to pick up my race packet on Friday I felt like a fish out of water

it seemed like everyone there was in really good shape and knew exactly where to go, not to mention my mom (who I dragged there with me because apparently I'm like a 7 year old) kept saying things like, "wow, there's no fat people here; look like you know what's going on; are all of these people going to be in the race?"

ugh

after surviving that, I arrived bright and early for the race Saturday morning with my mom and brother ... who were kind enough to come and support me

we were able to cruise right into the closest parking garage and get me to the starting area in time

and then I ran 4.97 miles, and it ended up not being the Bataan Death March that I had built it up to be in my head

I collected my medal, goody bag, and a bottle of water, and we were on the way home by around 10:15a.m.

the whole thing was really overwhelming for me ... I was definitely out of my comfort zone, and when I finished running, I really felt a great sense of accomplishment

22 March 2009

thus, after sifting through the puzzle books at the bookstore today, and comparing such factors as: price v. amount of puzzles; variations of difficulty of puzzles; and cover art; I decided to get Boss Lady Sudoku

I have had puzzle books before, but I have never completed one cover to cover ... I usually bounce around, get stuck on puzzles --- start a new one, get bored with book, lose book ... whatever

don't get me wrong, I wear green, but I observed on the metro Saturday (on their way to Shamrock Fest) the people with the most over the top outfits were either chubby drunk/ obnoxious frat boys ... or overweight girls. Is there a connection between obesity and compensating by wearing horrible green outfits and headpieces? ... sounds like a dissertation topic to me.

15 March 2009

Lately, I have signed up the 'free trial issue' of a magazine with the hopes that they will continue sending me the magazine while 'suggesting' that I purchase a subscription ... so far it have proved successful with Paste and unsuccessful with Real Simple :\

one of the main reasons I get tea at coffee shops is because it is so much cheaper than anything else there